So many businesses are getting tax subsidies under Oregon's effort to promote alternative energy that the state now estimates it will spend $167 million on them in 2009-11, up from $68 million it gave out in similar tax breaks in 2007-09. The higher spending demonstrates the increasing popularity of Oregon's Business Energy Tax Credit. But it comes at time when other state programs face cutbacks, and that's giving some lawmakers heartburn.

It might be tempting to imagine some sort of collegiate atmosphere among the developers of renewable technologies as they lead the charge towards a low carbon economy. But don't bank on it. Professional jealousies and business rivalries simmer below the surface and are often not contained. ...But the biggest schism highlighted in the past week is between "the intermittents" (the wind industry) and the "baseload" renewables (most of the rest).

The latest generation of wind turbines needs bigger blades than the 140-foot-long, 6-ton models that Gamesa Technology Corp. Inc. has been making at its factory in Fairless Hills. So company officials announced 184 layoffs in January and said the blade work would be transferred to a larger Gamesa plant in the center of the state, near Altoona. And just that fast, manufacturing jobs that Spain-based Gamesa had delivered to this region less than three years earlier - aided by more than $10 million in financial incentives from Harrisburg - were gone

After last week's meeting between the Adair County Commission and Trade Wind Energy, it was apparent more discussion would need to be made to bring wind energy to the county. Over the last six months, Project Manager Rob Northway has been developing a plan to build a 14-mile long wind farm that could cost up to $300 million and accommodate nearly 500 megawatts. The only problem is funding.

State utility regulators today authorized an auction to distribute $95 million to new power plants fueled by the wind, the sun, biomass or other renewable sources. The auction will be the fourth conducted under a standing state mandate to derive 25 percent of New York's electricity from renewable energy sources by 2013. Members of the state Public Service Commission ...noted that the time is right for new renewable energy projects.

The state renewable energy law that made it feasible for controversial new "wind parks'' will also cost New Hampshire consumers in higher electricity bills. They may pay $2 billion by the year 2025 under the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) -- an extra $5 a month, a University of New Hampshire study concludes. But these are just estimates. The state's consumer advocate and utility companies say there really is no way at this point to figure the actual cost.

An almost two-year fee-free period for wind farm development will not be long enough for NSW to catch up to other states, the Greens say. Premier Nathan Rees has announced incentives to boost investment in clean energy generation, including moves to fast track planning decisions relating to wind farms. The development fees that are associated with such projects will also be waived until June 30, 2011.

Freedom residents who hoped the wind turbines on Beaver Ridge would bring a lower tax bill got a surprise this year as other factors sucked up most of the windfall. ...Freedom town officials, with help from the state, valued the Beaver Ridge development at $9.7 million and the Central Maine Power transmission lines running up the ridge at an additional $480,000. But the value added to the town made barely a dent in the mill rate, which went from 17 to 15.5.

Gov. Chet Culver is defending his focus on Iowa's renewable energy industry, saying his effort has created "thousands of jobs" and leaving little doubt he'll make it the centerpiece of his campaign for a second term. The Democratic governor made the creation of a $100 million Iowa Power Fund the centerpiece of his 2006 campaign, and he dismissed a report by the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency that found the fund has had limited success.

Residents voted 36-10 during all-day voting Saturday to approve a tax increment financing deal the Board of Selectmen negotiated with First Wind of Massachusetts for the town portion of the company's Rollins Mountain project. First Wind plans to build 40 1½-megawatt turbines along the Rollins Mountain ridgelines that run through Burlington, Lee, Lincoln and Winn.

Despite a potential windfall of $300,000 a year or more for schools, the Mineral County Board of Education will not take a position in support of the proposed Pinnacle Wind Farm prior to the September hearing on the project to be conducted by the West Virginia Public Service Commission. Officials from U.S. WindForce appeared before the school board earlier this month to preview the project atop Green Mountain just west of Keyser, as well as the plan to divert about three-quarters of the wind farm's property tax revenue to the school system. Opponents of the project appeared before the board at the same time.

Oregon lawmakers tried to save millions of taxpayer dollars by trimming state subsidies enjoyed by wind energy farms, but Gov. Ted Kulongoski said today he plans to veto that effort. In doing so, the governor signaled he has little tolerance for any retreat on his vision for the state as a national center for alternative energy -- recession or no. ...Sen. Ginny Burdick, D-Portland, who led the effort to rein in wind farm tax credits, said ...the tax breaks go too far and cost too much.

Wind farms generate a lot of electricity, but not a large number of permanent jobs once the construction phase is over. And although the projects are desirable because they use an abundant renewable natural resource, the only significant revenue the units are generating in Wyoming at this point is through property taxes in the counties where they are located. Their property tax bills so far are modest.

The District 300 school board approved a pilot all-day kindergarten program ...The money - an estimated $2 million a year after six years - made from the wind farm would be used to offset the district's energy costs. ...But board member Monica Clark questioned whether it is too good to be true.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) announced proposals yesterday for RBS and Lloyds to boost lending to stricken wind-farm developers, which have been hit hard by the credit crunch ...A spokeswoman for RBS said that nothing had been signed and that it would be "at least two months" before a final decision was taken on whether to proceed with the scheme.

Members from DKR Wind, the company looking to build a windmill farm near Oilton, approached Commissioner's Court on how much tax abatement they are requesting. They are looking for a $280 thousand abatement over a ten year period.

A contract has yet to be drafted, but there was discussion during a work session Tuesday among the county commissioners and representatives from US Wind Force as to how the company would guarantee tax money to come into the county. "I'm trying to protect the people in Mineral County," Commission President Wayne Spiggle said. "I want to try to ensure they have the tax income from this industry. This industry has a unique taxation base."

An amendment to a state renewable energy law is expected to encourage wind and solar power by making it easier for projects to be paid when they produce more electricity than they use. The amendment, signed by Governor Carcieri this month, reduces restrictions on a law enacted last year that for the first time in Rhode Island allowed "net metering." The law was designed to compensate green energy producers for surplus electricity they pump back into the power grid.

A Texas professor urged members of Congress to drive a growing West Texas industry by funding wind-energy research. ..."I believe if research and education investments are made on the scale proposed that this industry can provide 20 percent of the nation's electrical power by 2030," the Lubbock professor said in testimony.

Spanish clean energy firm Iberdrola Renovables has said that it is hoping to secure between $400 million and $500 million in US government aid over the coming months in order to develop new wind projects in the US. ...offering direct funding for 30% of such investments (covering approximately 95% of the cost of the wind farm).